


All I Ask of You

by borqui_l



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Phantom of the Opera Fusion, M/M, Minor Character Death, Non-Graphic Violence, OOC Rick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 07:10:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3318638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/borqui_l/pseuds/borqui_l
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phantom of the Opera AU. Kieren is a low-level employee at the town center. When an attack from the “Phantom” of the town occurs, he is pushed to fill in for the previously popular Gary. Enter mysterious Simon, who takes his heart and his muse - his “Angel of Art”. Kieren is forced to choose between his world and the world of the Phantom, and between the two men he has grown to love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All I Ask of You

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to thank my two lovely betas [Rie](nooowestayandgetcaught.tumblr.com) and [Lupe](colinmorgain.tumblr.com). And all of the amazing art is done by [Teresa](wire%20doll.tumblr.com). This story follows closely to the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lon Chaney.

Kieren walked along the set course, trying his hardest to blend into the background. That was, after all, his job. His best friend Amy turned around and made a throwing up motion and he tried his hardest to stifle his laugh. She had a point; the “prima donna” of the town, Maxine, was giving her presentation about PDS. Needless to say, it was full of bullshit. In the past few years he had been working here, Kieren tried his best to blend in; he was PDS so it generally wasn’t hard. But recently he’s had an outburst of creative energy, resulting in some of his best paintings. Only Amy had seen them, but he hoped one day it could turn into something great.

His train of thought was interrupted by the arrival of Vicar Odie, the current owner of the business. “Hello all,” he started, “As you know, I am retiring, so I would like to introduce the new owners: Zoe and Brian.”

“Our pleasure,” Zoe said, nodding at Maxine. “I’ve heard of everything you’ve done for the company. Could you possibly shows us?”

“But of course,” said Maxine, smoothly. She clapped her hands and pictures were brought out. “As you can see here,” she started, but she didn’t get to finish her thought. At that moment, a backdrop fell, revealing a poster for the ULA depicting an army of the undead slaughtering the living with the quotation ‘We are the redeemed’. Chaos ensued, people screaming, crying, running.

“It’s the Phantom!” Amy exclaimed excitedly, but Kieren pulled her out of harm’s way.

“Relax, relax!” Zoe cried, and eventually, people calmed down. “Bring me the engineer,” she said to the person on her left, and Ken was brought down. “What is the meaning of this?” she demanded.

“I have no explanation,” Ken started, “You see, I was not at my post at the top, I was in props. If someone was there, it would have had to have been the ghost.”

Again, people shouted, huddled together, scared. “I told you it was the Phantom,” Amy whispered to Kieren. Once again, he shushed her.

Maxine, however, was livid. She had broken down, and no one could console her. She refused any help from Zoe or Brian, who did his best to calm her, but it was no use. “These things have been happening for years!” she cried “And you’re not going to do anything about it. Well, until these strange occurrences stop, I will not perform here!” And with that, she stormed out.

“Does she have a replacement?” Zoe asked Jem, the instructor, who was also Kieren’s sister.

Once you got to know her, Jem had a kind heart. However, she did her best to hide it. She wore dark clothing and listened to punk, and generally did her best to repel any human or PDS in a hundred mile radius. She didn’t fit in with either group, for the humans shunned her for being so close to Kieren, and many of the undead wouldn’t get that close to a living person. Jem turned her cold stare to Zoe and Brian.

“Of course not,” Jem scoffed. “It’s new. But I’m not here for her. I bring a message from the Phantom. He only asks that you leave a seat open for him to use and kindly reminds you that his salary is due soon, and sincerely hopes that you can afford more than the Vicar.” She raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the pair, adding to her menacing appearance. Even Kieren was wary of her when she pulled that trick.

Zoe and Brian faltered, but quickly recovered. “It doesn’t matter anyway, we’re going to have to cancel. We don’t have a show.”

“Kieren can do it!” Amy said suddenly, dragging a reluctant Kieren out from the shadows. “He’s a fantastic artist, and has the greatest teacher around, even an idiot like you could see it.”

“Amy…” Kieren warned.

“So who’s your teacher then?” Brian asked, suspicious.

“Erm…” Kieren stalled, unsure of what to say. He didn’t know who his teacher was. He definitely wasn’t human. His muse was like from a story his mom used to tell when they were kids, of an angel who would come and bless those with certain abilities. That’s who’s been coaching him these past few months.

“Great,” Zoe said darkly.

“Let Kieren show his work,” Jem demanded. “As his sister, I know he’s been learning well.” Jem fixed him with a searching look, then went next to the new owners.

Before Kieren could say anything, Amy had already brought him some of his best pieces. Slowly, he started to present them, but he was nervous. He stuttered, and tried his best to hide. Jem glared at him, but then her look softened and she gave him an encouraging smile. By the end of the presentation, everyone was captivated.

“Very well,” Zoe said “Mr. Walker’s work will be presented tonight in place of Ms. Martin’s.”

 

******

 

Even though the anticipation was eating at him, the show went off without a hitch. Kieren had never felt so amazing in his entire life. Well, both his lives. He felt fearless, and as he showed his work, he never felt so uplifted. He could sense his muse’s pleasure, even now. Unknown to him, there was another man who was captivated.

Simon had never been the biggest fan of shows like these. But as a disciple of the Undead Prophet, when he told Simon to go somewhere, he went. However, the boy whose art was being shown was not only the most beautiful man he had ever laid eyes on, but incredibly talented. He had to get to know him better. All he wanted to do was take him in his arms, kiss those wonderful lips, and run his hands through that beautiful blond hair. When the show finally ended, Simon practically jumped out of his seat to applaud this incredible man.

 

******

 

“You were amazing!” Amy squealed after and enveloped Kieren in a huge hug. “Your work was amazing, but it wasn’t as moregeous as you!”

“Moregeous?” Kieren asked, a huge grin splitting across his face.

“More than gorgeous,” Amy replied in a tone like that should have been obvious, “More-gorgeous, moregeous.”  
“Yeah, good job out there, baby bro,” Jem said, smiling slightly, but giving Kieren a hug to show how proud of him she was. “But the rest of us,” she continued, with a slight look at Amy, “Need to practice.” And with that, she left.

“So, tell me how you did it,” Amy prompted.

“Did what?” Kieren asked, confused.

“All the art. Well, I realize that you drew, obviously. But for years you didn’t have any desire to and now look! You’ve created so many wonderful things that touch so many people. So spill.” Amy demanded.

“It’s like the stories we used to hear as kids,” Kieren began. “At the church. How there was always an angel watching over us. Well, this is my angel of art. He’s here all the time, whispering in my ear. I can hear him even now.”

“Right…” Amy said, wary, “Well whatever he is, he’s been good to you. I just wish I could see him.”

“Me too,” Kieren sighed. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Jem walked in.

“Amy Dyer!” Jem commanded. “Aren’t you supposed to be doing something?”

“Oh yes! Right. Ok well see you later!” Amy hugged Kieren and left.

Jem gave Kieren an evaluating look. “You really were good,” she said “Here, someone gave me this to give to you,” she handed Kieren a note, and with a wink, she followed Amy. Kieren opened the note slowly.

I have spread my dreams at your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. xx

Kieren stared at the note in awe. He had a faint idea of what it meant but he had no idea of who sent it. And what was the meaning of the ‘xx’? Were they actually kisses? He sat there contemplating what to do with it when he heard a voice coming from behind him.

“It’s Yeats,” said a deep voice which held an Irish lilt.

Kieren turned and sucked in his breath. The man standing before him was gorgeous. He was tall, seemingly muscular under his large jumper. He had dark hair which was a stark contrast to his pale skin and white eyes, revealing that he was a PDS sufferer like Kieren. He had a small smile, not enough to be a smirk, but more like he was pleased with what he saw.

“Simon Monroe,” the Irishman - Simon, said, and extended his hand. Kieren took it and smiled. “As much as I love calling you Beautiful Englishman, I would love to know your name.” Simon said, and Kieren realized he never gave it, but before he could say anything, Simon started. “I mean, I know your name. I saw the show and loved it. You’re Kieren, Kieren Walker,” Simon explained, smiling shyly. It was extremely endearing. “You’re incredible, Kieren.”

Kieren blushed. “No I’m not,” he said softly. “I’m just a person who wants to spread his joy of art.”

Simon just looked at him like he was amazed. He finally spoke up and said, “I just thought that, you know, you’re so fine you could Monet an impression.” Kieren just stared at him, amused. “No wait shit, you’re so Monet you could make an impression. Fuck! Um… “ Kieren was laughing by now. “You’re so fine you could make an impression on Monet,” Simon finally said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Kieren laughed. “I guess you’ll have to take me somewhere to work on those pick-up lines of yours,” he said cheekily.

Simon looked up with hopeful eyes and smiled. “Yeah, I guess so,” he replied, “How about we start now? Over dinner tonight?” he asked.

“Erm, well, I actually should just go to sleep,” Kieren confessed. “I’d love to, but…”

“Fantastic!” Simon exclaimed. He was so excited Kieren was at loss for what to do. “We can do breakfast tomorrow instead,” he said, seeing Kieren’s alarmed expression. “I’ll pick you up at nine?”

“Nine is great,” Kieren said, smiling softly.

Simon came up to him, and rested his hands on Kieren’s waist. He leaned down and left a feather-light kiss on Kieren’s lips. And with a small smile, he left. Kieren tried his hardest to calm down his fluttering stomach. He glimpsed at the note again and grinned dopily.

“HOW DARE HE!” boomed a deep voice, startling Kieren out of his thoughts. It was his angel. “He can’t take away what is rightfully mine! The work that I have given! The nerve!” the angel continued.

“Angel, please,” Kieren started to plead.

“Enough!” the angel boomed. A cold silence fell over the room.

“Why can’t I see you?” Kieren asked softly.

“Is that what you want?” the voice of the angel asked. Kieren nodded. “Go to the mirror,” instructed the voice. “Now look at your reflection.”

At first Kieren could only see his own face. Strawberry blond hair that swept over his forehead, white eyes, pale skin. Then another face started to appear next to him. The face was male, with short brown hair. He too had pale skin and white eyes, but one side of his face was completely covered with a white mask with a cut out for his eye and stopping at the framing of his mouth. Kieren was mesmerized. He forgot all thoughts of the show and Simon. He could only stare at the face of his angel.

“Come to me,” his low voice commanded. And as if he was in a trance, Kieren did.

The mirror disappeared revealing the entire figure of the angel. He was tall and captivating. He wore a large black cape over a suit of black. He held out his hand, with a gold ring on the pinky finger, and as if in a trance, Kieren followed. They went across a field and got to a lake. The angel pulled him into the boat and finally they ended up at a large house and inside it was dark, with candles lining the walls and the large desk that lay in the center of the room. Then his angel - his phantom came up to him and resumed speaking in his enchanting voice.

“Hey,” he said softly, wrapping his arms around Kieren. “Listen. Let the darkness fill you with the inspiration it filled me.” He began to sway. “Stay. Listen. Let your imagination take over. Give yourself up. Give yourself to me.”

And with that, Kieren collapsed. The Phantom picked him up and lay him on the couch nearby. He marvelled at Kieren, but pulled himself to work.

Sometime later, Kieren opened his eyes. He looked around and the cavern was just as he remembered. He looked over to the desk where the Phantom was intently working on something. Slowly, he got up and silently made his way over to the desk. What was underneath his mask? He reached out, but stopped himself. It had to be there for a reason, right? He took a step closer, but still couldn’t see around it. Once again he reached out, and after a slight hesitation, he ripped it off his face. His angel let out an outraged cry and Kieren stumbled backward and fell, dropping the mask.

“HOW COULD YOU?!” The angel cried, clutching the side of his face that was previously covered by the mask. Kieren couldn’t stand to look at him this way. “YOU CAN’T EVEN LOOK AT ME! Damn you…”

Kieren waited a few moments, and when there was no more yelling, he silently handed back the mask. He watched as the phantom turned and put the mask back on. When he turned back around, he was calmer, more handsome, the man who pulled him to this place.

“We must get you back,” the angel sighed. “Come.” And Kieren took his hand and allowed himself be led back.

 

*******

 

Zoe was reading the paper back at the company. There were reports of mysteries, people walking out, but any press is good press. She was quite content until Brian stormed into the office.

“Did you see what’s in the paper?!” He demanded, looking crazily at Zoe.

“Any press is good press, Brian,” She replied, “Stop acting like an ametueur.” She glanced at the note in his hand. “Oh, you have one of those too.”

Brian held out the note and read, “‘Dear Brian, The last show was amazing, Kieren’s work was inspiring. Not having Maxine wasn’t a loss, keep it that way.’”

Zoe raised her eyebrow and read her own note. “‘Zoe, Just a reminder, you haven’t paid me yet. Kindly send it to the address below. No one likes being in debt! C.G.’ Who would write this? It’s absurd.”

“It’s signed C.G.” Brian pointed out “... Company Ghost! This is beyond ridiculous this needs to stop.”

Just then the door banged open, stopping any conversation as Simon stormed in, looking murderous. “Where is he?!” He demanded.

Brain just looked confused. “Who?”

“Kieren! Where is he?” Simon close to yelled and started glaring around the room as if they had hidden him in the closet.

“How would we know?” Zoe asked.

“This note,” Simon angrily shoved the note into her hand. “You sent this. What have you done with him?”

Zoe gingerly unfolded the note and read, “‘Kieren is safely with his Angel of Art. He is fine. Do not try to talk to him ever, don’t even look at him.’ Why would we send this?”

Simon seemed to falter at that. “Em.. Well…”

“We didn’t send it,” Brian assured him and as he was about to say something else.

“Where is he?!” Maxine stormed in the room, she too, was brandishing a note. “You.” she zeroed in on Simon “I don’t appreciate this note. How dare you insult me in this way? I am a member of Victus!”

Simon glared at her, he didn’t like her anyway, but took the note out of her hand and read it out loud. “‘You will no longer be the center of this company. Kieren Walker will take your place.’ I didn’t write this.”

“Of course you did,” Maxine scoffed, “You and that… thing have something going on.”

“I’d like to remind you that I too am one of those ‘things’ as you put it,” Simon said coolly “But I didn’t write this. Even I have limits.” He shoved the note back into her hand and stormed to the other side of the room.

Zoe leaned over to Brian and whispered “What’s so special about Kieren? He’s all we’ve heard about…” she lost her train of thought as Jem entered the room.

“Kieren’s back,” Jem said simply, and Simon rushed over to her.

“Where is he? Is he ok?” Simon asked, searching her eyes in case she lied.

“He’s fine,” she reassured Simon. “It’s best if he’s alone right now.”

“Can I see him?” Simon asked hopefully.

“What part of alone don’t you understand?” Jem asked. “Besides, I have a note.” And the room exploded in people yelling.

Zoe took the note, and cleared her throat so everyone would listen. “‘By now you should have recieved my other notes. Now, in the next show, Kieren will once again be featured. Maxine will only be seen in the background. Remember to keep my seat empty and be warned: if you choose to ignore them, something horrible will happen.’”

All hell broke loose. Simon continued to fret over Kieren, Maxine was throwing a fit over her role, Zoe and Brian were trying to reassure her, and Jem was warning against going against the ghost’s wishes. After several minutes of confusion, Zoe yelled “Enough!” and everyone silenced.

“Let me make this clear,” she said through gritted teeth. “Maxine will be featured, Kieren will be in the background.”

“Zoe…” Jem started to warn.

“That is final,” She said, her speech directed at Jem. Jem shook her head and left.

Maxine gave Zoe and Brian a calculating glance. Finally she spoke, “And how do I know this is what you want?”

Brian was the one to answer, “Ma’am, you have been the featured artist for so long. Everyone wants you.”

“Very well,” Maxine conceded. “I have to go prepare for the show.”

 

*****

 

What happened next could have been expected. Zoe and Brian were sitting in the seats usually left empty and Maxine was featured. The show was going well until then. Maxine was doing her part as well as she could, and Kieren was putting all he had into his small part.

“Why is box five not empty?!” a voice boomed over the music of the orchestra.

“The phantom!” Amy exclaimed running to the front and looking around, as if hoping to catch a glance of him.

“It’s him,” Kieren breathed, moving next to Amy, “The angel,”

Maxine pulled him back and hissed in his ear. “You’re not supposed to talk. You… you toad!”

“Toad, ma’am?” the same voice laughed darkly “Maybe you are the toad.”

Everyone shifted nervously, but soon rallied together and began and the earliest point. Though things were slightly off but they quickly adjusted. And then Maxine croaked. It came unexpectedly, she was just talking how she was supposed to, and she started croaking like a frog and could not continue.

“I apologize for the inconvenience,” Zoe interrupted, “We will continue shortly, featuring Kieren Walker.” The last part was spat out reluctantly. Everyone quickly left the stage.

“Thank you for bearing with us,” Brian said apologetically “Now, in the meantime, please enjoy the ballet that was supposed to be presented later. The ballet.”

There was a quick scene change and the ballet commenced. Ken went to the top to work on the scene change. The dancers danced across the stage with such grace, they captivated the audience. And suddenly, the lights went out, and a spotlight focused onto a spot near the top of the set. Everyone started screaming and running every which way. But nothing was louder than the maniacal laughter of the Phantom. The spotlight had focused on the dead body of Ken Burton, who was hanging from a noose.

 

******

 

Kieren was pulling Simon across the roof, frantically looking over his shoulder.

“Kieren, love, what’s wrong? Why are we up here?” Simon asked, cupping Kieren’s face.

“It’s him,” Kieren responded, pulling away from Simon, looking around the roof. a frightened glint in his eye. “He’s here, I’m next. He’s going to kill me... he has no limits…”

Simon ran over to him, and held him at arm's length, “Who? Kieren, what’s going on?”

“The Phantom!” Kieren said “I need to get out of here, he can see me. Oh my God, he can hear me. I need to go.” He tried to leave but Simon wouldn’t let him.

“Kieren, listen to me; the Phantom isn’t real,” Simon tried to reassure him.

“He’s here!” Kieren cried, “He’s in my head… always in my head.”

“Yes, it’s all in your head,” Simon said. “The Phantom doesn’t exist, he’s all in your head.”

“No, Simon,” Kieren pulled away frustrated. “He’s real. I’ve been to his lair. It’s dark and gloomy and consuming. He’s real. And he’s always listening.”

Simon walked over and pulled Kieren close. He spoke softly in his ear, “Real or not, I can tell he’s scaring you. I promise that no matter what happens I will protect you, ok? Nothing can touch you.”

Kieren looked up at him, “Promise?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Simon breathed, tucking Kieren’s head under his chin. “I promise. All I ask is that you let me be a part of your life. I love you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Kieren pulled his head back. “I love you, too.”

Simon once again pulled him close, but it wasn’t meant to be comforting this time. Kieren wrapped his hands around the back of Simon’s neck and brought him into a kiss. It was the most perfect thing Kieren could imagine. Simon’s lips were soft and pliant underneath his. Kieren opened his mouth and Simon’s tongue snuck in, tangling with his in the best way. When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless. Hand in hand, they ran off the roof so Kieren wouldn’t be late.

From the darkness, the Phantom emerged. He was angry; hell, he was furious. How dare Kieren go with him - a man who gave him nothing and went against his explicit instructions? He gave Kieren everything, trained him to be a great artist, and this is how he was repaid? Oh, he would rue the day he chose not to listen to the Phantom. He turned and went back inside the theater. There was work to be done.

Inside the theater, the show had ended and everyone was bowing and acknowledging the applause. Kieren, as the featured artist, was last. After he bowed, he heard the laughter of the Phantom and the chandelier crashed to the ground, shattering into a thousand pieces. Kieren didn’t wait any longer, and fled with Simon.

 

******

 

The next few months were the best in Kieren’s life. He continued to draw, and his skills developed even more. Simon was the best man that Kieren could ask for. He was handsome, smart, and caring. So when Simon proposed a week before the company’s annual masquerade party, Kieren said yes without hesitation.

 

*****

 

When Kieren and Simon arrived at the party it was already in full swing. There were people in all kinds of costumes, scary ones, funny ones, cliche ones, identical ones. Kieren and Simon were dressed as princes with simple masks that covered their eyes. They wore identical black tailored suits with coat tails that had golden buttons on each side adorning the tops. People were dancing, drinking, and talking all around the grand ballroom. Some people would come up and try to guess who it was underneath the mask.

Kieren leaned into his fiancé’s arms and said, “Thank you for coming with me,”

“Of course,” Simon replied with a fond smile “Anything,” He leaned in for a kiss but Kieren pulled away.

“We can’t, not here,” Kieren whispered urgently.

“Why… why not?” Simon asked, a little hurt.

Kieren sighed “I just want to keep it secret, for a while.”

Simon gave him a searching look. “Fine,” he finally replied. “Just tell them soon, yeah? It’s not a crime.”

“Simon…” Kieren started.

“Look, let’s not argue,” Simon said.

Kieren nodded and they began to dance.

The music ranged from formal dances to upbeat music someone would hear at a club and to slow dances. The night went on and on, and the two of them danced with a variety of partners, but always gravitated towards each other. Once again a slow song began to play and they held each other close, swaying to the beat of the music. Simon lowered his head so his nose was buried in Kieren’s hair. They were melting into each other when the door flew open with a bang.

The man who entered was wearing a more elaborate costume than any other guest. He wore a deep red cape that ended near his knees. His top and pants were an identical shade of red, and the shirt seemed to have human ribs stretched across it. The hat completed the red image, it was an old style with a single white feather. The most gruesome part of the ensemble was the mask - a skeletal face. The room fell silent as the newcomer strode towards the center of the room. Like the story from which he got his costume, no one would dare come near him or challenge him. Finally he stopped in front of Zoe and Brian.

“I have a proposal for you,” the stranger said, his mask moving with his mouth.

Kieren gasped. “It’s him,” and staggered backward towards Simon, who wrapped his arms around him.

“Here,” the Phantom continued, “I expect it to be carried out immediately. And to be clear, Kieren Walker’s work will be featured. Maxine Martin will be a secondary act assisted by Gary Kendall. If not, you will suffer. There are worse things than a broken chandelier.” He walked up to Kieren and pulled him closer by his wrist. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you,” he hissed, and with that he exited. To say he walked out would be the greatest understatement that Kieren could make. He turned, his cape whipping behind him as columns of flame rose from the ground as he left.

People fled from the building, most of them screaming. Amy grabbed Kieren and the two of them hurried out as well, going to who knows where. Jem was almost out when Simon called out to her.

“Jem!” Simon called, running to the base of the stairs.

“I don’t know anything,” Jem insisted, her eyes wild, “Leave me alone!” and she continued up the stairs.

“But you know who he is,” Simon said, and Jem stopped in her tracks. “Please, for me, for Kieren, tell me what you know.”

Jem sighed and turned. “I knew him once,” she said quietly, “He was brilliant when he was alive, but then he went to war. He left Kieren all alone, though I doubt Kieren remembers much of it now. I saw him, during the rising. I guess he died at war and now his face is deformed. It was a bomb,” Simon looked down silently. Everyone had their scars, but he only had injection marks, and Kieren had his cuts. “Then was the rising, and I assume he went rabid like the rest of you lot. But after the discovery of neurotriptyline, he was able to go home. His father was head of the HVF, and he tried to pretend he was ok, but eventually he rejected him,” Jem continued, “So he fought. Used what he knew. That’s all I know.” And with that, she too left the building, leaving Simon alone to his thoughts.

 

*****

 

Simon was the last one to get to Zoe and Brian’s office. Maxine was having a tantrum about not being in the spotlight once again, Zoe and Brian seemed to be in deep discussion about something, and Kieren, oh Kieren. He was huddled in the corner, trying to be invisible. Simon went over to him and gathered him in his arms. Kieren held onto Simon’s jumper for dear life. Well, second life.

“Don’t make me do it,” he whispered into Simon’s chest, and Simon pulled him closer. He wouldn’t let anyone harm Kieren, he was too precious.

“No, of course not,” Simon said, and kissed him softly.

“He has to,” Zoe said, giving the pair a hard stare “I’m not risking our safety and the safety of others.”

“WHAT?!” both Kieren and Maxine exclaimed. Simon remained silent.

Kieren looked up at Simon questioningly, “Don’t make me do it,” he said simply.

Simon hesitated. “Well… It’s not a bad idea,” he suggested.

“What?” Kieren demanded, eyes flashing.

“Well, the Phantom’s obviously going to come to the presentation,” Simon started. “We could use this as a way to trap him or kill him. So he won’t bother Kieren anymore.”

“That’s a great idea!” Brian said, and rushed the desk. Kieren remained silent. “I’ll start making arrangements now.”

“Is no one going to ask me?” Kieren asked innocently.

“Listen, love,” Simon said, placing his hand on Kieren’s shoulder.

“No, Simon,” Kieren replied angrily, brushing his hand away. “I said I didn’t want to do it! I won’t risk my life for whatever ridiculous plot that you are making, which, by the way, won’t work. I can’t turn my back on the man who inspired so much of my work. This is bullshit!” Kieren stormed to the door, where he stopped and turned around one more time. “And you,” his words were directed at Simon. He shook his head and finally said, “I thought you would be better than this. Come tell me when you are.” And with that, he finally left the building.

 

*****

 

Kieren had calmed down a bit by the time he made his way down to the new cemetery. He wasn’t mad at Simon anymore, not really. He was looking out for Kieren’s well being, albeit in his own weird way. Everything was just so fucking confusing. He got his angel, but at what cost? Ken’s life? His life or sanity? The only constant in his life was Simon, but he wasn’t being all that great at the moment either. He loved him, and maybe that would be enough.

He finally reached his destination, the grave of an old friend. There was no body buried because he died overseas, and none was found. He sat next to the grave and stared at the inscription for a while before speaking up.

“Rick,” He said brokenly. “I just… I don’t know what to do. I did what I always said I would, what you told me I can do. I don’t know how to go on from here.”

Kieren sat there staring at the ground, as if waiting for the ghost of his friend to appear and give him advice. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice a figure of a man approaching from the other side of the grave.

“Kieren,” the Phantom said. “I thought I could find you here.”

Kieren looked up. “Angel? Phantom? Ghost? I don’t even know what you are anymore.”

The angel knelt down next to Kieren and cupped his hand on the other man’s cheek. “I’m still the same. Your muse, your teacher, your friend. Your angel,” he said, his voice getting Kieren into a trance. “Come to me,” he said. “Let’s go.”

When the Phantom stood, Kieren did as well. They started to make their way out of the cemetery, but neither noticed when Simon came and saw his fiancé following his mortal enemy.

“Kieren!” Simon called, but it was no use. He ran towards them and continued to call to him “Kieren! Kieren!” Kieren finally heard him and made to turn, but the Angel kept him under his spell. “Whatever he’s say isn’t true!” Simon pleaded. “Kieren, please come back to me, please.”

It seemed to break through the haze because just as Simon had given up hope of Kieren hearing him, he felt the arms of his lover wrap around him. He pulled back a little to get a better view of the Phantom, but Kieren pulled him right back into a fierce kiss. It was messy and desperate, but neither one of them seemed to mind in the slightest. They had each other and that was all that mattered.

“I’m sure you’re extremely proud of yourself, sir,” the Phantom sneered at Simon. Simon didn’t waste any time in taking Kieren’s hand and getting out, but they were stopped by a fireball that was launched in their path. The Phantom laughed darkly. “Why don’t you just leave, you big strong man? Just go.” He taunted, and continued to throw fireballs at the couple, blocking their paths. “Come on,” He chuckled “You can do better than that.”

Simon had had enough of this man. So instead of dodging the next attack, he tackled the Phantom to the ground, ignoring Kieren’s protests. The two of them fought for some time until Simon pinned him down and pulled out the knife he had concealed in his sleeve. He paused, poised to kill when Kieren’s voice cut through to him.

“Simon, no!” Kieren pleaded, heading over to them as fast as he can. “I know you’re angry, but please, not like this.”

Simon studied his face and finally conceded, taking Kieren’s hand and fleeing the cemetery.

The Phantom slowly got to his feet and watched the couple’s retreat. “This means war,” he yelled, and with a swish of his cape, he vanished.

 

*****

 

The night of the presentation was surreal to say the least. The preparation had been awful between Maxine’s regular outrages about her part, Gary’s total incompetence about what was going on, and everyone’s paranoia about the Phantom and his wrath. Up until the part Kieren was supposed to be doing with Gary, everything had been going smoothly. Yes, he was getting regular glares from Maxine but that wasn’t new. And actually, the part with Gary was going flawlessly. And that was the problem. Gary hadn’t known what the fuck was going on yesterday, how could he today? As he continued on with the presentation (this piece was about the meaning of love), he slowly inched closer to Gary.

With a swift yank, he pulled the hood off to reveal that his partner was not Gary, but the Phantom himself. The two of them froze, staring at each other, then the Phantom spoke.

“Kieren, oh my Kieren,” he said, moving closer. “You have to know, this was for you. I love you. I want to spend my days with you at my side. That’s all I ask of you.” When Kieren didn’t respond the Phantom got angry and took of the ring that lay on his finger and shoved it on Kieren’s hand. “You will be mine!” He shouted.

Kieren panicked and did the first thing he thought of. He ripped off the Phantom’s mask.

The last time he had taken off the mask, he hadn’t even gotten a glimpse of the his face. Now he could clearly see the scar that ran down the entirety of his face. What was previously covered was revealed to be a patchwork of skin, marring the face that once held youth. It was a gruesome sight, some pieces of his face were missing, or on sideways, and his lip was curved in a way that wasn’t natural. But there was a familiar quality to it, and after a moment, Kieren could place it.

“Rick…” he breathed, taking in the sight of his friend for the first time in years.

But Rick paid no attention, grabbed Kieren, and fled. As they left, the back curtains opened once more to reveal the strangled bodies of Gary and Maxine. Once again, the building was thrown into chaos, everyone screaming and trying to leave as fast as they could. And again, Simon called out to Jem for help.

Before he could say anything, Jem spoke, “Go through the field and across the lake and you should find his house,” Simon nodded. “But watch out for his lasso. You saw what he did to Ken.” Simon simply nodded his assent and ran off to find Kieren.

In the back of the building, Amy was organizing a mob. “Kieren needs our help!” she urged “We have to go find him!” The crowd yelled their assent and they too were off to find Kieren.

 

******

 

Kieren walked out of the changing room, cautiously. Once they got to the Phantom’s - no, Rick’s lair, he was forced to change into a suit. A proper suit, like he would wear to a wedding, his wedding.

“Why are you doing this?” Kieren demanded. “Have you not killed enough? Am I next? Or am I to be different because I have different flesh?”

“Look at me,” Rick said, but Kieren kept his eyes on the ground. “I SAID LOOK AT ME!” And Kieren looked up. “This… destruction, this mutation of my face has cursed me. It’s poisoned everything that was dear to me, everything that is pure. So tell me. Do you like what you see? Because this will be your life now.”

Kieren raised his chin as if it were a challenge. “The fault is not with your face,” he said simply, “It’s with your soul.” Before he could say anything further, there was a crash from the hallway.

“Looks like we have a guest.” Rick smirked and threw his lasso at the door.

“Simon!” Kieren cried and ran over to where his fiancé was captured by the lasso. He turned to Rick. “Let him go!” He pleaded.

Rick seemed to consider it for a second. “Alright,” he replied, “I’ll let him go. But in return for his freedom, you have to stay here with me, as my husband, for the rest of your life. Refuse to marry me and the Irishman dies.”

The room was tense as Kieren made his decision. He walked up to Rick and seemed to study his face.

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll stay with you. Like I said, your face isn’t deformed; it’s your soul.” To prove his point he took Rick’s face in his hands and kissed him. He put all his compassion into the kiss because no matter what Rick did, he could never truly hate him.

When he pulled away he saw Simon’s devastated face past Rick. It broke his heart to see his lover that way, but if it was the only way he could live, then so be it. Simon was everything to him, and he would sacrifice anything for him. Slowly, Rick got up and walked over to where Simon was captured. The two of them seemed to size each other up, but Rick cut him down.

“Go,” Rick said quietly. “Both of you go.” In the distance, the noises of Amy’s mob could be heard. “Before they get here, leave. Leave and don’t come back!” Rick cried and ushered them out of his door.

Simon and Kieren fled up the stairs without any hesitation. Rick watched them go. Kieren showed him what it meant to truly care for someone. Even though Rick loved Kieren, it was clear that it wasn’t recuperated, so he let him go. He would rather see him be happy than keep him for all eternity. A noise from the stairwell caught his attention. It was Kieren. He walked up to him and spoke so softly Rick almost didn’t catch his words.

“I have something of yours,” he said, and pulled out Rick’s ring. He then turned and once again ascended the stairs.

“Kieren,” Rick called, and Kieren turned. “I will always love you.”

Kieren just stared back with the blank stare he knew so well, then allowed a small smile. Without another word, he continued up the stairs to Simon and their life together.

Rick stood frozen until a sob ripped through him. He collapsed into his chair and no longer held back his tears. He knew compassion and then it left him. What kind of life was this anyway? The sounds of the mob grew closer and closer. For his last act, Rick threw his cape around him, so it completely covered him.

Amy broke into the main room of the lair. She recognized it from what Kieren had described, but no one was there. And then she spotted the heap of a cape that was on the plush chair, so she stalked over and ripped it off. All that was left was Rick’s mask.

 

**Epilogue**

 

Kieren and Simon’s wedding was a small affair. Shortly after their return from the Phantom’s lair, the two of them moved to Simon’s hometown in Ireland. Neither of them wanted to be near the events of the past year. Their wedding was a month later, with only their families and close friends attending. Despite the beginning of their relationship, they’re living happily. Their new home was much more accepting than Roarton ever was, and they could pursue their interests in peace.

Amy stayed in Roarton even after Kieren left. She continued working but never heard from the mysterious Phantom again. A couple months after Kieren and Simon’s wedding, she met a wonderful man named Philip. He was human, but that wasn’t an issue. And anyone who thought it was could deal with it.

Rick simply disappeared. No one heard from him again. There were rumors of course. Some said he was dead, some said he never existed, and some said he moved on to terrorize another building. However, none of that was true. When Kieren saw a familiar outline at his wedding, he hoped whoever it was had found happiness as well. And who knows? Maybe one day he will.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! It was a long journey and I hope you liked it! Make sure to check out all of Teresa's work because it's all amazing.


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